Eric Sherman was born in Los Angeles and grew up on the Hollywood backlots
watching his father, Vincent Sherman, direct films starring many of the
industry's greatest figures, including Humphrey Bogart, Errol Flynn, Clark
Gable, Richard Burton, Paul Newman, Joan Crawford, Bette Davis, Rita Hayworth
and Ava Gardner.
Eric attended Yale University where he co-founded the Yale Film Society
and
graduated as Yale's first Scholar of the House in Film. His first picture,
CHARLES LLOYD -- JOURNEY WITHIN, was screened at the New York Film Festival
and was reviewed by Variety as "... perhaps the finest film made about
a jazz
musician."
Eric has been a directing and production consultant to Universal Studios,
Paramount Pictures and The Mount Company and has worked with several of
Hollywood's leading writers, producers and directors, successfully ensuring
on-time and on-budget feature film delivery. In addition to his work with
the
studios, Eric has owned and operated Film Transform, Inc., a full service
fil
m and video production company, since 1976.
Recent Film Transform projects have included the action film TRAINED TO
FIGHT, the live television special THE MARILYN FILES and the Peabody
Award-winning PBS series FUTURES. Film Transform also provides video
production and duplication to dozens of corporations around America.
Eric has written four widely used texts on filmmaking: THE DIRECTOR'S EVENT,
DIRECTING THE FILM, FRAME BY FRAME and SELLING YOUR FILM. He has also taught
at Art Center College of Design, California Institute of the Arts (Cal Arts),
Pepperdine, UCLA, the American Film Institute and Cal Tech, and he has given
guest lectures at numerous universities around the country.
In addition to his production work and teaching, Eric joined the Gallup
Organization in 1993 as their chief consultant for the motion picture
industry.
Eric's work has won more than three dozen awards, and he is listed in
numerous biographical summaries, including Marquis' WHO'S WHO IN THE WEST.
He
is on the Board of Trustees of the American Cinematheque and the Board of
Directors of Filmforum.
Consulting
Procedure...
If you are in the film industry or considering entering it or shifting
your
position within it, you may need the information and advice of an experienced
professional who has been involved with all phases of production,
distribution, exhibition and audience research.
Eric Sherman offers his consulting service to fill this need.
First, he conducts a free introductory interview to assess the client's
current situation and to determine if the client would benefit from a
customized consulting program.
The client then purchases in advance the amount of time estimated to deliver
the program, and a "client file" is established.
Each appointment -- whether in person, by phone, or through mail or fax
correspondence -- is noted in the file as to "amount of time used"
and
results obtained. Any recommendations for next step(s) are also recorded.
When the "hours on account" are used up, the client is notified
and, if by
mutual agreement there would be additional benefit to the client from a
follow-up purchase of consulting time, he then replenishes the account with
the appropriate amount of hours.
All information given and received in the consultation sessions is
confidential and is protected by standard principles of "client privilege."
No information from the consultation sessions is given to any third party
without specific written authorization by client.
Long-term consulting and producing/directing/writing packages can be
negotiated.
Eric Sherman is the president of Film Transform, Inc., a California
corporation, and Film Transform, Inc. is the "consultant of record."
It is
retained by the client as an independent contractor. For tax purposes, our
Federal ID # is 95-3963480.
Letters and success stories are available from former and current consulting
clients.
Services Offered
Eric Sherman's consulting services are available in all
areas related to the
motion picture industry, including, but not limited to:
1. Production -- all phases, including directing, writing, acting,
cinematography, editing, scheduling, budgeting, all forms of planning, etc.
2. Financing
3. Marketing and distribution
4. Audience research (either through Film Transform or The Gallup
Organization)
5. Packaging of projects
6. Development of specific projects; business plan preparation
7. Career planning
8. New media and international developments
